Inslee, Ferguson will discuss pot law with Holder

Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson will meet with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder next week and could learn how the federal government intends to response to the state’s voter-approved law legalizing marijuana use by adults.

The three will meet Tuesday afternoon in Washington, D.C. It will be the first face-to-face conversation of the state leaders and the top federal law enforcement official.

Inslee, who plans to attend President Barack Obama’s inauguration on Monday, scheduled the sit-down with Holder. The governor invited the attorney general to join them, said Inslee spokeswoman Jaime Smith.

Washington officials are drafting the rules to implement Initiative 502, which envisions a legal marijuana industry in which pot sales are regulated and taxed.

However, marijuana use is still illegal under federal law. State leaders want to know how federal authorities plan to respond in Washington.

Holder has said he would issue a policy for dealing with the law in Washington and a similarly-styled measure in Colorado. He has not said when that will be released.